


The One Where Everything Goes Well

by nokurde



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Peter Parker, BAMF Peter's StarkPhone battery, Field Trip, Flash Thompson Redemption, Gen, How Do I Tag, No Spoilers, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker's Field Trip to Stark Industries, Peter tried to be stealthy, Peter's StarkPhone should probably be tagged as a character, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, but failed, yeet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:02:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24571987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nokurde/pseuds/nokurde
Summary: ...at least at first.orUpon learning his school won a tour of Stark Industries, Peter takes care of everything that could put his identity at risk. Flash didn't get the memo.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Flash Thompson, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 98
Kudos: 2366
Collections: Good Shit To Read Again AKA GSTRA, Identity Reveal x Field Trip, IronDad / SpiderSon, Peter Parker Slaps Severely, Peter Parker Stories, Peter Parker’s Field Trips, Peters_many_unfortunate_fieldtrips, Really good Irondad and Spiderson fanfics, The Best Peter Parker Field Trip Fics, ellie marvel fics - read, marvel fics that are marvelous, peter parker and his field trips





	The One Where Everything Goes Well

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So this is my take on the field trip trope. I absolutely love this trope, hope I gave it some justice. This is also my first time publishing anything on AO3, I'm not sure I got the formatting right, please excuse any mistakes I might've made and if there's something that bothers you feel free to point it out and I'll try to fix it. 
> 
> No beta because I have no idea how to make that happen. I spell-checked this though, hope it's enough :/
> 
> Btw has anyone noticed that Tony's beard resembles the Stark logo?
> 
> Please enjoy!

"Man, chill, you're shaking.  
  
"Ugh. "Yeah well, it's not like my entire life is going to just crumble in the next few minutes, is it" he deadpanned in return.   
  
Ned had the audacity to smirk at him. "I see Mr. Stark's company is rubbing off on you. Why so dramatic?" Met with the glare that said _you traitor_ , Ned finally relented. "Come on, dude, you'll be fine. Nothing's gonna happen. You'll just prove Flash wrong about your internship, he'll have no choice but to shut up."  
  
Peter sighed and turned to look through the bus window. They were approaching the Stark Tower that currently housed Stark Industries, along with all the necessary facilities to let it run smoothly, as well as the Stark penthouse on the top floors. After the Vulture incident, Tony ended up not selling it (he liked to joke he just moved the Avengers out, though), and Peter once overheard (not on purpose, he couldn't control his enhanced hearing!) (he would never eavesdrop on purpose) (never) (nu-uh, not him) his talk with Pepper about the main reason he decided against the move at the last moment.   
  
The new Avengers compound was too far from Queens.   
  
(ok, fine, he did)

  
Peter took out his phone and sent a quick text to make sure Mr. Stark wasn't up to anything, as him being up to something was probably Peter's biggest worry. If only he didn't intervene, everything should go smoothly. 

The bus came to a stop and all the students, Ned included, tried to get off at once, excited to finally arrive at the place of their childhood dreams. They were, after all, Midtown's finest, and Midtown High was a prestigious school for gifted young minds, the sort of which actually had a fair chance of ending up working at SI in the future, if only their curiosity and love for all things science didn't falter in the upcoming years.  
  
MJ patted him on his arm as she was passing by his seat to break him out of this thoughts. He quickly texted Mr. Stark back.

He scrambled to get off the bus after MJ on his shaking legs, hoping and praying to all that was holy, that this field trip didn't ruin his life. He asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. very nicely not to announce his clearance level, he made sure none of the Avengers had plans to visit him, Tony or Pepper, he even left a note for his colleagues not to out him in front of the class.   
  
Nothing could go wrong.   
  
Breathe.   
  
Nothing could go wrong.  
  
"Hey, Penis! Trying to savour the last of your dignity before being exposed as a liar?"  
  
Right. 

* * *

They entered the building and were made to wait in the lobby as Mr. Harrington went to the reception desk. Peter looked around nervously, trying to predict where the first blow would come from. His eyes found the silver line at the floor, and he shuddered at the thought that F.R.I.D.A.Y. could break her promise to him - Tony could easily override the Stealthy Intern Protocol Peter designed if he so chose, so here's to hoping he didn't find out about the tour.   
  
"You okay?"   
  
He smiled at MJ nervously and nodded. She placed her hand on his, and only then he noticed he was wringing his hands in terrified anticipation. Ned bumped into him lightly to show his support.   
  
"So, Parker?" Flash sneered from behind him. "Not so confident now, huh?   
  
"Ok, kids. Come on, gather round," Mr. Harrington called. There was a young man by his side, wearing a blazer with the SI logo on it and holding a bunch of- bracelets?   
  
"Welcome, to Stark Industries, Midtown. My name is Juan Vargas and I'll be your guide today." Juan offered them all a big smile, seemingly as excited as they were. "First of all, let me congratulate you on scoring this awesome opportunity!"  
  
Peter had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. It figures. SI allows only ten tours a year, schools, universities and businesses from all over the country all compete for a spot on the list. Midtown High managed to finally snatch a place after the success of the AcaDeca team in D.C. It added the few points they needed to make it to the list, and after that — the entire student body signed up for the test that would ultimately appoint the brightest 30. The entire student body excluding Peter, but he was unfortunate enough to be on the AcaDeca team and therefore was granted a place whether he liked it or not.   
  
Only ten tours a year, and millions of competitors.   
  
It figures.   
  
It was his damn Parker Luck striking again.   
  
"Fun fact: I'm an intern in the PR department and your tour is actually one of my assignments, so please be nice," Juan winked at them and a few girls giggled. "A few basic rules first, and we're good to go. In a moment, I'm gonna give you your access passes, they look like this." He held up the bracelets. "You put them over your hand, like this, and they will automatically shrink to fit around your wrist. Every pass is coded to your name, it contains all the information we have on you as per the background check you were informed of in the waivers you and your parents signed. As long as you don't purposely try to pry it off, you won't trip the security system."  
  
Abraham put his hands up and Juan nodded his way. "What happens if it slips off?"   
  
"That can't be done, these bracelets are literally telling our security system that you are indeed allowed in the building. They will only snap open when you cross the silver line there on your way out."  
  
Juan grinned, taking a few steps backwards.   
  
"Now, this line here. It's the first one of the many amazing technical miracles you'll see today." He stopped just one step ahead of it. "The rules were all given to you along with the waivers, but just to make sure we're all on the same page here: no touching, unless specifically told otherwise, no wandering off on your own - and I'm serious, guys, the bracelets let us know where you are at all times, your access is very limited on your own, it's just not worth it. Also, no pictures and no recording, but I wouldn't worry about the temptation too much, all of your electronic devices will be deactivated for the entirety of the tour."  
  
All of their electronic devices, excluding Peter's, of course. F.R.I.D.A.Y. knew better than that. The students murmured unhappily while Peter still tried, and failed miserably, to calm himself down. He didn't know Juan personally, but he did remember Pepper mentioning him before, PR was her thing after all. Since the tours were so rare, SI didn't bother hiring actual tour guides, offering the opportunity to PR interns instead. Juan seemed nonthreatening enough, but Peter doubted he would be able to relax until the day was done and over with.   
  
As Juan started calling their names, each one of the students them coming up to collect their pass, he felt cold sweat break out on the back of his neck.   
  
"Peter Parker?"  
  
His head shot up, surprised to hear his name. He would be getting a pass as well? He avoided talking to Mr. Stark about the field trip in order to keep it a secret, only to realize later that he was on the list of visitors and so the SI ran a background check on him. Either F.R.I.D.A.Y. or Mr. Stark had to see his name on that list. Why was he being given a pass?  
  
"Peter? You okay?" Juan's question snapped him back to the present, and he quickly grabbed his pass, painfully aware the snickers.  
  
"Alright, let's begin. Meet F.R.I.D.A.Y.!" Juan exclaimed after everyone had their passes secured around their wrists, and took a step back, crossing the silver line on the floor. Peter couldn't help but smirk at the gasps of his friends all around him, when suddenly a horizontal line of light descended on Juan and seemed to scan him.   
  
"Dude, it never gets old!" Ned grinned, bouncing on the heels of his feet in excitement.   
  
"Juan Vargas, PR Department. Temporary clearance level: six. Good luck on your assignment, Mr. Vargas."  
  
"Woah!" Ned was quickly becoming a ball of ecstatic energy beside him. Peter would find it funny, if only he wasn't in the middle of a mental breakdown.   
  
"That was so cool!" one of the others called out, and Juan nodded in agreement.   
  
"That was the voice behind SI's security system, F.R.I.D.A.Y. She's much more than that, actually. Come on now, line up and let her meet you, one by one."  
  
Peter knew they didn't really have to do it one by one, that was the whole reason for the scanner upgrade in the first place: too many people coming and going everyday, it's easier to just have F.R.I.D.A.Y. work quietly in the background than deal with long queues at all times of day. The "one by one" thing was done specifically for the tours' benefit, and Peter has seen before how excited that little stunt made everyone, so he supposed it was the right call. If only it didn't apply to _his_ tour as well.   
  
As his friends (and Flash) excitedly formed a line, Peter stayed back, his fraying nerves making him sweat. Perhaps if he snuck out right now, no one would-  
  
"Eugene Thompson, visitor. Clearance level: two. All electronic devices deactivated. Welcome to Stark Industries, Mr. Thompson."  
  
He could see the pure joy on Flash's face, and he grimaced. He wouldn't mind proving a point and finally get Flash off his back after all these years of teasing, but he was damn well aware how extra Tony could be. Not to mention he was trying to convince Peter to stand up to his bully for ages, and now, when the perfect opportunity presented itself, Peter knew Mr. Stark was actually smart and sneaky enough to have his way.   
  
"What are the different clearance levels for? Why is your temporary?" Cindy asked, and Peter suddenly realized he was the only one left, with Mr. Harrington making impatient hand motions at him. He gulped and approached the line, saying goodbye to his life as he knew it.   
  
"I have a temporary clearance level six, so that I can actually lead you guys around the Tower today. This way we have access to some labs I usually have no business messing around in," Juan smiled. "As an intern, my usual clearance level is four. It's a system from one to ten, although it does have a loooot of subsections. No one really needs to learn them all, you can get by with just knowing who ranks what in your department. Clearance levels are coded in our passes so that F.R.I.D.A.Y. can restrict any and all attempts at unauthorized access.  
  
"So, it short: members of the press get level one as they only need to access the conference rooms. Visitors such as yourselves, and also family and friends of SI employees can apply for a level two. Level three is for all the admin, food court and hotel wing employees, hmm also maintenance workers and the like. Interns get level four, and thanks to that we can access the so called _rookie floors_ ," Juan made an air quote, "to work on our projects under supervision. Level five are for actual SI employees handling actual SI stuff, and level six are department heads, and now me! Thanks to you."  
  
Cindy and Betty poked one another, giggling and blushing when Juan smiled at the group. They made a mistake of poking MJ, too, to invite her in on their fangirling, but she just snorted.   
  
Peter felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

"Clearance levels from seven and up are not required to wear the passes, due to safety reasons and higher probability of being attacked and impersonated. F.R.I.D.A.Y. has their biometrics, instead. So, clearance level seven is for security staff. Eight is for our head of security and his most trusted team, nine is for Avengers, should they ever choose to visit. And finally, level ten, unlimited access to the entire Tower, including the Stark penthouse and Tony Stark's private labs." Juan seemed genuinely as excited to be telling them this, as they were to listen. He lowered his voice to mock whisper, "only three people hold that clearance level: the owner of the company, the CEO of the company, and one classified individual."   
  
Peter groaned in frustration. He didn't like Juan anymore. This guy sure knew how to build up tension and play on their emotions. The word "classified" worked like magic, making the lobby explode with curious whispers.   
  
Juan straightened up, looking proud of himself.   
  
Peter narrowed his eyes at him, before Mr. Harrington finally called him over, and he had no choice but to cross the line. The line that would open the way to his secret identity being found out.   
  
"Peter Parker, R&D Department. Clearance level: four."  
  
It worked.  
 _  
It worked!_  
  
F.R.I.D.A.Y. took pity on him and granted his request, as Stealthy Intern Protocol dictated. Perhaps Mr. Stark didn't find out about him being on this tour, then. It would actually make sense if Pepper, or even one of the department heads working under her, was in charge of arranging the tours. His phone buzzed in his pocket again, but he decided to wait with checking it until the eyes of the entire class weren't trained on him.   
  
"Ooh, do I have a fellow intern on the tour?" Juan perked up, trying to spot him over the crowd of students. He did seem surprised, though. "In actual _high school_?"  
  
Peter breathed out a sigh of relief (and tried to hide a smirk when he noticed how red Flash had become), but he might have just jinxed himself. F.R.I.D.A.Y. wasn't done, apparently.   
  
"I'm glad to see your vitals are back to normal. No life threatening injuries detected. Welcome back, Peter." F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed the lobby happily.   
  
Well shit.  
  
Boy, did he mess that up. As he was busy panicking, Ned and MJ spluttering at him for not telling them he had apparently been hurt last time he was at the Tower, and other students collectively loosing their shit at the fact he was indeed an intern at Stark Industries and _what the fuck_ , Juan unknowingly came to his rescue.  
  
"Wow, that's R&D for you," he laughed, as if it was no big deal, and started making way towards the lifts. "I swear that's the most accidents prone department in this building. Hey, that's actually a good reminder for all of you, stick to the rules-"  
  
Peter droned him out, taking a second to calm his furiously beating heart and wipe his sweaty hands on his t-shirt. That was close. That was so fucking close.   
  
F.R.I.D.A.Y. was referring to his latest patrol. He came up with an upgrade for his taser webs, and worked long hours at his lab to finish it as soon as humanly possible. Mr. Stark forbid him from actually using them before they got properly tested, but that's what he tried to do, that night. Everything went south when a gang war broke out right beneath him as he was swinging by, and no, the upgrade was definitely not working properly, which he came to find out after it failed to incapacitate _the twelve men with guns in their hands._  
  
That was unfortunate.   
  
As they were led to the elevator, Peter quickly looked at his phone to see a message from Happy.

He chuckled under his breath and hid his phone as they entered the spacey elevator.   
  
"Who did you blackmail into getting you that pass, Parker?" Flash hissed to him, and Peter almost felt bad for him. "Or did you just lie on your application form? Do they know you're a high schooler? What else did you lie about?"  
  
"Shut it, jerk," Ned hissed back. "Why can't you just admit you were wrong?"  
  
"Okay everyone, we'll be visiting SI museum first. Due to SI's association with Avengers, we're proud to present an Avengers exhibit as well," the tour guide announced and smiled at the excited whispers. Peter was relieved to see the others weren't paying Flash and his antics any mind, at least for now. He knew no one believed him about the internship, Flash had made sure of that in the last years, but he was still liked enough around school. It almost seemed like people just decided to let him have it, this lie, if it made him happy. This, in turn, didn't make Flash happy. He wondered what it would actually take to get the guy off his back, if being called an intern by the building's AI wasn't enough. The others seemed to have bought it, shooting him curious glances and whispering among themselves. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., please take us to the 24th floor."  
  
"Of course, Mr. Vargas."  
  
The elevator started moving and everyone (well, almost) gasped with glee at the easy way Juan was communicating with the security lady, and that talking to her actually worked. They soon arrived at the museum floor. The group stepped off the elevator, looking around in awe. After all, they were the top thirty students who scored the best out of their entire school in a fairly difficult test, designed by SI for this sole purpose. The museum was filled with Stark technology, complete with prototypes that never made it public and advanced projects that were classified until recently, after the company no longer deemed them useful and moved on to upgraded versions.   
  
"Here we are. The SI museum is the only place in the Tower where you're allowed to touch and test out anything you like, as long as it's not behind glass," Juan said, again walking backwards into the museum lobby, facing them. "This entire floor is dedicated to the history of Stark Industries and its many scientific breakthroughs, along with the Avengers wing. Look around, and we'll meet back here in two hours. Have fun!"  
  
Mr. Harrington looked as if he wanted to try and enforce the "no touching" rule anyway, probably in fear of a possible lawsuit in case of any damage he knew the kids were capable of, but didn't get the chance as everyone immediately ran off in different directions.   
  
"This is so awesome! I'm so jealous you get to come here whenever you want, dude," Ned whined as they walked towards the Arc Reactor exhibit. "Way cooler than Lego."  
  
"Nerds," MJ rolled her eyes with a smile. "And you, why are you so worried? Don't you think you're overreacting a bit?"  
  
Peter sighed, throwing the Arc Reactor hologram up along with an animation of its development. "I just- I'm so stressed out! I asked May to stay quiet about the trip, I begged F.R.I.D.A.Y. not to alert Mr. Stark when I enter the building. I asked around to make sure the Avengers weren't gonna be here." He ignored the disappointed groan from Ned. "So far, it's going surprisingly well. I can't help but be suspicious. I'm worried I forgot about something.  
  
MJ punched him in the arm playfully. "You're definitely overreacting. Now everyone knows your internship has always been real, no drama involved, and I'll remember Flash's face forever, thank you for that by the way."   
  
Yeah. When she said it like that, it made sense.   
  
"Besides, even if Mr. Stark came through this door right now," Ned paused dramatically and turned to look at the elevator. As if on cue... nothing happened. "Eh, worth a try. So even if he came here, he wouldn't do anything to reveal your identity, right?"  
  
Peter grimaced. Him being Spider-Man was one thing. He and his role in the SI was another thing altogether. He never got around to telling Ned and MJ how close him and Mr. Stark have become, how much time they spent working together and how it actually made him feel as if he finally had a father. He knew he shouldn't be embarrassed to talk about these feelings with his closest friends, but it felt somehow too fresh, too fragile to be mentioned out loud. He wondered how Mr. Stark would react if he knew how much more than a mentor he now was in Peter's eyes.   
  
He cringed at the mere thought, he would either get laughed at and have his feelings dismissed, or get a serious talk about professional environment at work and knowing his place. Either way, awkward.   
  
As long as he never talked to anyone about it, it would be fine. No one would ever know. Mr. Stark did love to embarrass him any chance he got, though, not to mention the rest of the Avengers. He was glad they welcomed him to the family so enthusiastically, but also a bit annoyed everyone treated him like the little brother you get to tease. Were they here, the media would've dubbed it "Spider-Man's great PR disaster: how not to come out as a secret superhero."  
  
He felt his phone buzzing again and after a few minutes he discreetly fished it out, when a group of students moved on to another exhibit. 

"Hey, uh, Presley?"  
  
The trio looked up from the Stark Drone IR39 946 QZ 97A Prototype Unit V9, Peter hastily putting his phone away, to see their tour guide approaching.   
  
"Peter."  
  
"Right, sorry. Peter," he smiled awkwardly. "So, I was wondering, because I actually had no idea SI allowed high schoolers to be interns, how did you manage that? I mean, you know, I'm in PR, I studied everything there was to study about the company. I know how internships work, just- what?" His smile was big and genuine, but Peter wanted to kick him right now.   
  
"Is someone finally calling you out on it, Parker?" Flash laughed from where he was trying on Stark VR goggles. "And to think I _almost_ believed it today!"  
  
Peter rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I honestly don't care what-"  
  
"So, Mr. Vargas, you said it wasn't possible for a high schooler to become an intern here?"   
  
Juan, clearly realizing he'd opened a can of worms he really, really shouldn't have, just stared at them for a long moment and was probably fishing through his thoughts for a damage control procedure. "Err... Ekhm. Not that I know of. But, I guess, rules can probably change or- perhaps the higher-ups can make exceptions?"  
  
Flash snorted and shot him a winning look that just dared him to start making excuses.   
  
"Whatever," Peter mumbled, his face heating up.   
  
"This place is basically run by F.R.I.D.A.Y.," Juan suddenly added, as if it explained everything. "Whatever F.R.I.D.A.Y. says, goes. It is literally impossible to hack her, and so it must be true." He shrugged, giving Peter a smile in apology. Flash made an annoyed face at him.   
  
"Peter is Mr. Stark's personal intern!"  
  
" _Ned!_ "  
  
Flash snorted, and Juan just gave Ned an amused look. "Right."  
  
Peter wanted the Earth to swallow him whole.   
  
"You guys need to see this," MJ suddenly appeared by their side and the boys blinked at her in surprise, not realizing she wandered off. "Sorry, I'll be borrowing them."  
  
She tucked her hands under both her friends' arms and dragged them further into the museum. They were almost done with the SI section, and the boys exchanged confused looks as they walked past some cool prototypes Peter wanted to brag about (they might or might not have been his design) and into the Avenger wing.   
  
"Have you seen this before?" MJ asked and was that actual _excitement_ in her voice? Was the world ending? Again?  
  
"Um, yeah?" Peter eyed her suspiciously. "I've been here before, so-"  
  
He cut himself off when he actually noticed where she was dragging them to. He gaped at the exhibit and felt his knees going weak for a second, before he caught himself.   
  
"Oh." 

"Yeah," MJ smirked.   
  
"Woah dude! That's so cool! That's like the coolest thing ever!"  
  
Ned was absolutely right, Peter thought, as he took in the Spider-Man display. There was his original suit, the one Mr. Stark called a onesie. Then his favourite, usual suit, the one he was given in Berlin. Iron Spider was there as well.   
  
Ned immediately opened all available holographic displays, and upon closer look Peter noticed his own sketches of the Stealth Suit, something he's only began working on recently, with all the important notes concealed. There were his web shooters, web fluids-  
  
"Utility belt, communication system, vacuum seal, umm a heater? Enhanced reconnaissance mode, enhanced combat mode," Ned read excitedly, swiping through the holographic images. "What the hell is Instant Kill?"  
  
"It says here Spider-Man refused to become an Avenger at first," Cindy said, joining them by the exhibit. "Can you imagine turning down Iron Man?"  
  
"And he's afraid of spiders," MJ snickered evilly, pointing to a "fun facts" list.   
  
"Spider-Man’s web dissolves within an hour and yet is strong enough to hold the Hulk," Ned continued reading. "Spider-Man’s web is faster than a bullet, he managed to web a gun as the trigger was pulled, _duuuuuude!_ "   
  
Peter just shrugged.   
  
"Gets embarrassed easily." MJ read gleefully. "Got adopted by the Avengers long before becoming one of them. Begged his friend to hack his suit and disable the Training Wheels Protocol, then promptly locked himself in a Damage Control warehouse due to lack of respect for his elders. Oh my God, this is pure gold."  
  
Cindy giggled. "Got stuck in the vents at Avengers compound. Repeatedly."  
  
"Is adored by Dr. Strange's Cloak of Levitation. Started Avengers' Civil War II over Footloose the movie."   
  
Peter couldn't fight the smile anymore. It was embarrassing, he expected nothing less, but it was also incredible, to be a part of this. Some holographs Ned pulled up showed his epic fails, most of which could also be found on youtube, unfortunately. Some of them showed the prototypes he designed for his future suit. There was a whole display dedicated to his contribution to the fight against Thanos. Judging by Cindy's reaction, as well as the others' gathered by that section, that wasn't common knowledge yet. The commotion they caused was enough to draw in more of the students. Soon they were all crowded around the holopad and swiping through the various information eagerly.   
  
"Hey, Pete," Ned nudged him, his eyes all soft and his smile uncharacteristically fond. "Check this out."  
  
He pointed to the last of the not-so-fun facts on the holopad.   
_  
Iron Man's favourite superhero._  
  
Peter wasn't crying. You are crying.   
  
Shut up. 

* * *

  
The two hours they were given were not even close to enough to go through everything they would like, but no one was too upset when Juan announced their next step: the rookie floors, and more specifically: the rookie _labs_.   
  
"You'll be able to meet a few of our interns, see what they're working on, ask questions," Juan told them as he was leading them back to the elevator. "We always try to match the tour program to the visitors' preference, and since you attend a school for science and technology geniuses, you're in for a real treat! F.R.I.D.A.Y., please take us to 39th floor."   
  
"On it, Mr. Vargas."  
  
After the Spider-Man exhibit moved him to the point of tears, Peter finally managed to calm down a bit. Maybe that was it, Mr. Stark's attempt to embarrass him, without actually spilling his secret. Maybe he didn't need to worry. So far, so good. Even if Flash was still having some issues with him and his internship, he wasn't overly annoying, limiting himself to a snide comment here or there. Everyone else even seemed to be glad to be proven wrong. A few of his friends approached him with questions, and he was happy to tell them a little (tiny, microscopic) bit about his work.   
  
Everything was going perfect.

He managed to hide a few more texts from the eyes of other students. 

Juan led them out of the elevator into another lobby. There was a long hall with a few doors that Peter knew led to the various labs. Most of the labs floors looked similar, some were small, some took an entire floor, some had a high ceiling and could fit up to five actual floors, some had windows, some didn't, some had connecting test rooms. He's been to all of them at some point, he'd say.   
  
"We're about to enter R&D intern lab #39.11. Everyone here is excited to meet you so please behave."  
  
As Mr. Harrington echoed this sentiment, Juan stepped closer to the door and waited for F.R.I.D.A.Y. to grant him access to the lab. The door slid open and allowed them to enter, and they were hit with the raw chaos of a Research and Development lab. It always reminded Peter of homeroom, when everyone would just do whatever, play paper games, work on some group project, chat, catch up on homework or whatever else needed doing. R&D labs had that same energy.   
  
"Are you Midtown?" a young woman asked, abandoning a steel plate she was cutting into with some kind of laser. She put the laser away on a weird laser-rack-thing and stood up to greet them. "Hello. I'm the head intern here in lab #39.11. My name is Jane and this," she gestured to the rest of the room "is my team. We're with biomedical engineering and technologies. Our supervisor isn't here today, but I'll do my best to answer all of your questions."  
  
She talked them through their current project, which was an advanced leg prosthesis that would eventually be able to connect with the nerves and act as a natural human limb. This was no innovative breakthrough, she said, since artificial limbs were becoming more and more advanced, but it was still a long way ahead of them to create one that would be both advanced _and_ affordable to an ordinary citizen.   
  
They were allowed to take a look around the lab. They were invited to put on some weird scary helmets, and after some hesitation a few of the students stepped forward to see what would happen. Turned out they were able to play some football with their minds powering the artificial limbs provided by the team.   
  
"That's insane!" Ned kept shouting, and he wasn't the only one. "Insane!"  
  
Peter kept to the side, looking on proudly. Both him and Mr. Stark had high hopes in this project, it seemed it was coming up fine.   
  
They visited two more intern labs, got to ask lots of questions and test out some cool prototypes before heading to the food court for a lunch break. Everything was going so smoothly that Peter finally relaxed and let himself believe that maybe, just maybe, this tour wouldn't ruin his life after all. He was actually starting to enjoy himself.   
  
"I just don't get it, Parker."  
  
Right.   
  
"What are you on about, Flash?" Peter asked with a sigh. "It's honestly getting old."  
  
Flash eyed him speculatively. He was a bully, but he wasn't stupid. That was what made him dangerous. Peter was well aware that Flash first started taunting him because he honestly believed Peter was lying, and then he kept at it to make up for his own insecurities. It wasn't fair, but life rarely was. The best course of action was to just ignore the comments and not let them get to him, but if there was one thing about Flash Peter was indeed scared of, it was the way he always seemed to be watching his every move, just waiting for Peter to slip.   
  
"I just don't get it," Flash repeated. "It doesn't make any sense."  
  
"Can't you just let it go?" Peter groaned. "What more do I need to do for you to finally leave me alone? I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. It was never even about you."  
  
To his surprise, Flash shrugged. "I'm just trying to understand. You claim to have an internship that is literally impossible. Not one intern I talked to recognized you, and even the guide guy was surprised by the idea of a high schooler working here. Yet, the security system knows you."   
  
Well shit. That's exactly was he was afraid of.   
  
"Just what is it about you that makes you better than any of us? Are you really an intern here, Parker? Or is this some seriously fucked up elaborate lie? And if so, what for?"  
  
Once again, Peter felt almost sorry for his bully. Perhaps if their roles were reversed, he would also be trying to make some sense of it. Flash seemed serious, as if he was ready to give up on his battle if only he was given an answer he deemed appropriate. Ned and MJ were just coming back to their table with their food orders and couldn't read the mood properly. They formed a wall between them as soon as they noticed the two of them standing close.   
  
"Just fuck off already, Flash," MJ snapped at him and Ned nodded furiously.   
  
Flash met his eye for a long second, before actually turning and walking away to his own table without a word. He could tell his friends were relieved, but also a bit surprised. They both eyed him suspiciously and he just sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration. He would absolutely love for the day to be over.   
  
"So, do you think we'll run into any Avengers?" Ned asked, stuffing his face full of his burger.  
  
Peter frowned. "No. I honestly hope not." He played with his pasta for a while before shoving the plate away. "I don't think I could deal with any of them right now. I mean, I love them, they are so cool, but I just- I can't."  
  
MJ only raised her eyebrows at his dramatics and Ned patted him on the shoulder.   
  
Traitors.   
  
Just to make sure, though, Peter took out his phone and fired off a few more quick texts.

That's it. Totally inconspicious. 

* * *

After lunch, their tour continued and they ended up at 64th floor. They were visiting two regular Research and Development labs where adult, fully-fledged employees worked, most of them accomplished scientists.   
  
And most of them his friends, because those were the labs he frequented nowadays, if he wasn't in his or Mr. Stark's lab. He did send out a note to all of his colleagues to please, _please_ , pretend not to know him or at the very least, recognize him as an intern only, he reminded himself. It's gonna be fine.   
  
He braced himself when Juan came up to the door of the second R&D lab they were visiting. The first one went quite well, but it did stress him out at first (oh who was he kidding, everything was stressing him out today). He definitely had to send gift baskets to everyone for their trouble.   
  
The door slid open and they entered the last destination of the tour. The previous lab was mostly focused on robotics and coding, whereas this one's forte is renewable energy. A few heads shot up at the sound and he noticed some grins sent his way. With a deep, calming breath, he entered the room and tried to blend in with the rest of the students.   
  
"Hi, Midtown! Welcome to the #64.08," a man greeted them. A man whom Peter knew very well and whom he occasionally enjoyed destroying at chess. "My name is Arnold Choi and I'm the leader of this project. First, let me show you what we're working on, and later on we will have a special assignment for you." Mr. Choi wiggled his eyebrows. "We prepared an amazing prize for the best work, so pay attention."  
  
Excited murmurs filled the room before Mr. Harrington managed to shush them. Mr. Choi didn't seem to mind, though. He showed them around, introduced his colleagues and pointed out some fun facts about their field of work. The lab was filled with different-sized glass vials and pipes, softly buzzing equipment, parts of turbines lying around and something that looked like chopped solar panels.   
  
"How is what you do different than the Arc Reactor?"  
  
"Will the energy you generate be completely green or-"  
  
"Is the final product supposed to be available to general public?"  
  
Mr. Choi and his team answered all questions dutifully, all the while demonstrating some cool chemical reactions, magical-looking visible energy displays or processors that were converting the input into power. Peter hung back with MJ, while Ned was one of the eager question-askers at the front, along with Flash, Peter noticed. It was a shame the guy wasted his talents and brains on jealousy instead of putting all that focus into something useful.   
  
The tour was slowly coming to an end, and anything bad had yet to happen. He might actually be able to show his face at school again. Perhaps his friends were right all along, he might've overreacted. A bit.   
  
"Ok, everyone, pair up!" Mr. Choi called out. "You're going to create your own renewable source of energy now. We'll provide you with basic tools and a processor, you can also ask for our assistance. Keep in mind we can only help you with limited issues, as this is a contest."  
  
He went over safety measures and explained the specific requirements for the final product to be considered a success. Then, from successful ones — if there were any — they would choose the best one, judging its usefulness, predicted cost and the impact it would have on the environment.   
  
"As for the prize," Mr. Choi made a dramatic pause. "The winning pair will be invited for a week-long apprenticeship here in one of the R&D labs!"  
  
Peter doubted there was anything else anyone could have said that would create more noise, as the excitement levels reached a new high. Mr. Harrington tried to contain the students at first but quickly gave up, while Mr. Choi and his team were laughing openly at their enthusiasm.   
  
Ned bounced back to them, eyes wide with wonder.   
  
"Before you say anything," Peter said, holding up his hands to stop Ned from talking. "I'm planning to sit this one out, so why don't you guys pair up together?"  
  
Ned and MJ exchanged glances.   
  
"It's fine, I'll be with Betty," MJ shrugged.  
  
"No, seriously, it's not fair for me to participate. I mean, I pop down here regularly, so, yeah. I know what to do to win."

Ned eyed him speculatively for a moment but relented eventually. Peter was right, it wouldn't be fair.   
  
As MJ and Ned went off to gather their share of equipment, Peter's phone buzzed again in his pocket.

Peter grinned and put his phone away. Ganging on Quill with Rocket was one of his favourite hobbies. He loved the Guardians, and while he was still a little afraid of Gamora (she was way too intimidating and he preferred to admire her from a distance, thank you very much), he could see how fun all of them were. Too bad Drax tried to eat his StarkPhone.   
  
(She probably would teach him Groot, though)   
  
"Anyone left without a pair?" Mr. Harrington's voice brought him back to the room. "Peter?"  
  
"Um, yeah, but, um," he shrugged awkwardly. "I'm already, um, an intern, so I think that's not fair, you know, for me to be taking part in this."   
  
It looked for a second like Mr. Choi could actually agree with him, but Mr. Harrington shook his head.  
  
"Nonsense, the apprenticeship is to be held at the advanced labs, I'm sure you could still learn a lot here, isn't that right?" The question was directer at Mr. Choi who could only shrug helplessly and nod, because doing anything else would expose Peter as more than an intern. "Besides, it does sound like a ton of fun! I'm a little jealous!"   
  
It was at this moment that Peter realized why he was even being dragged into this. Flash didn't have a pair, insisting he can do it alone so that he doesn't need to share the credit when he wins. And of course he bragged about this loud and clear so that everyone heard, including the teacher unfortunately. Cursing inwardly, Peter made his way to the station Flash occupied and found himself on the other end of a glare.   
  
"Listen, Parker," he said, as soon as Peter sat down next to him. "I'm not letting you ruin this, okay? I don't need a partner. I don't want you here, I don't want to hear your suggestions, I don't want you touching anything. You got it? I'm going to prove I'm-"  
  
"Yes, fine, I get it, Jesus," Peter rolled his eyes. "Just don't come running to me when you blow the lab up."  
  
"What did you just say to me?" Flash narrowed his eyes dangerously.   
  
And for one flicker of a second, Peter actually considered fighting him on this, but in the end, was is even worth it? Flash wouldn't change his behaviour — if anything, he would probably just bring it up to another level. It was best to just continue ignoring his taunts.   
  
"Nothing. I won't touch anything."   
  
Flash gave him a rotten look but turned back to his work without a word. 

* * *

  
They were given two hours for the assignment. Peter spent most of this time watching other pairs and Flash working (and texting, whenever he could get away with it without anyone noticing). It wasn't going that well for most of them, but they still had a lot of fun, and he enjoyed witnessing that. Juan, Mr. Harrington and the lab workers were making rounds, chatting with them or asking questions, and everyone seemed so eager to win the apprenticeship.   
  
Surprisingly, Flash was one of the few students in the lab who had any idea what they were doing. Peter felt a little bad for being surprised by this, but to his defense — Flash spent majority of his time trying to make him look bad, instead of showing off his own smarts. Well, Flash's project wasn't perfect, and at more than one occasion Peter suspected he was just improvising while mixing different materials, but in general, it was good, it showed he at least had an inkling what he was going for. It might actually work.   
  
That was, until Flash came back to their station with a vial filled with blue liquid.   
  
"No, don't," Peter said before thinking. "You'll ruin it."  
  
"You've got five minutes left!" Mr. Choi called out.  
  
Flash hesitated for a second and frowned at him, putting the vial back from where he was about to add it to his fuel mix. "I told you to shut up. I know what I'm doing."   
  
"The caeris oil isn't good for high temperatures, if you add this to your fuel while it's cold it won't even be processed and you won't generate any energy at all," Peter insisted, suddenly feeling invested in the project he watched Flash create. It would be a shame to let him destroy his hard work, even if the help was unwelcome.   
  
Flash snorted, dismissing him completely, grabbed the vial and held it over the fuel pot. And he kept holding it. Aaaand he kept holding it. Frowning deeply, he chanced a look at the holographic clock in the middle of the lab, then at Peter, then at the vial. He finally put it back down and stirred the mixture in the pot instead, then made quick work of pouring it into the designated vial that would later be connected to the processor. As Mr. Choi called time, he shot one more wary look at Peter and stood up to bring his vial over to others.   
  
Then presentations began. As Peter expected, most of them weren't working properly, or at all. MJ and Ned created a funny looking blop that actually managed to be processed into a tiny amount of power, and one more pair pulled off a similar feat. Then it was their turn. Or actually, Flash's.  
  
Flash took his vial and came closer to the main processor. He poured the mix into an attached container with a shaking hand, took a peak into his notes and adjusted the processor's settings. Then took a few steps back and watched the process nervously.   
  
Peter actually found himself smiling at the sight.   
  
And then everything went to shit.   
  
The mixture started heating, as it should, but the processor wasn't letting any energy out. This could happen due to a few reasons, but didn't necessarily mean failure. Perhaps a slight settings' adjustment- but no, Flash panicked. It wasn't working. It wasn't working, and he needed to fix it.   
  
Before anyone could even think about stopping him, he ran back to the processor, the caeris oil in hand, and poured it right into the fuel, which was almost at boiling point.   
  
All the scientists in the room froze.   
  
"Out! Out, everyone out!" Peter shouted, scaring the shit out of the students and their teacher who had no idea what was happening, but complied easily when they noticed a thick smoke going off of the fuel. Between Juan and Mr. Harrington, they managed to evacuate the lab rather quickly. Flash stared at the processor with terrified eyes, refusing to move until Peter practically dragged him out.   
  
"F.R.I.D.A.Y., cut the power at lab #64.08!" Peter called out, hoping to prevent the imminent explosion by shutting down the heating pods in the processor. He barely noticed Flash giving him a look, then staring back at the processor through the enhanced glass wall.  
  
"Initiating power shut-down in lab #64.08," F.R.I.D.A.Y. announced. "Estimated time: nineteen seconds."  
  
"Shit!" Peter hissed. It would be too late. The fuel was on the brink of boiling, judging by the amount of thick smoke that filled the room in mere seconds. They would be fine of course, everyone was safe outside of the lab, but all the tech inside it will be lost.   
  
And then Flash fucking Thompson pulled at the door and it _fucking opened._  
  
F.R.I.D.A.Y. has already given them all access to the lab for the estimated time of their stay so it wasn't surprising in itself. What was surprising, however, was the fact that Flash vanished into the smoke, committing the stupidest mistake of his life. Guess Peter wasn't the only one with the hero complex.   
  
"Shit!" Peter hissed again, diving after him without a second thought.  
  
"Pedro! _PEDRO!_ " he heard Mr. Choi calling him by his nickname somewhere behind him, but decided he was excused from having a chat due to the circumstances.   
  
"Flash, we need to get out of here! Flash!"  
 _  
There_ he was, Peter realized when he heard him coughing a few steps ahead. Seeing in the smoke would be way easier if he had his suit on. "Everyone's safe outside. Come on!"  
  
He finally managed to bump into coughing Flash, then grabbed his hand to try and force him out of the lab before they were both blasted into tomorrow.   
  
"No, just let me- It's here, I got it! If I can just-"   
  
"Let's go!"  
  
He could tell Flash tried to fight him but, sorry not sorry, he was stronger and simply pulled the other out of the lab, sliding the door shut behind them. He leaned on the door for support while Flash stumbled to the ground, both of them coughing awfully.   
  
"Pedro? Pedro, hey, are you okay?" He nodded to calm Mr. Choi down. The man was so pale he looked like he could faint any second, his eyes blown up and scared for him. Mr. Harrington and the rest of the scientists were gathered around Flash, who also seemed to be alright — terrified, but alright. And then there was a loud BOOM from behind them, the fuel finally reaching boiling point and exploding. The glass walls rattled slightly for two seconds, but otherwise the hall remained untouched.   
  
"Power shut-down in lab #64.08 complete, Peter," F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed him (not)helpfully a moment later.   
  
"Yeah, thanks, Fri," he muttered sighing. "Initiate Damage Control Protocol in that lab, please."  
  
"Right away, Peter. Damage Control Protocol in lab #64.08 engaged."  
  
"Wait, so _you_ are Pedro?"   
  
Everyone turned from the smoking lab to look at Juan who didn't seem too worried that two of high school students under his care had almost been blown to pieces. Instead, he looked as if Christmas came early, bouncing on the balls of his feet, eyes wide and a grin on his face.   
  
Peter groaned and threw his head back to hit the door. He was wrong. _This_ is when everything went to shit.   
  
"Yeah, he asked us to pretend not to know him," one of the scientists provided, ruffling Peter's hair affectionately. "Was trying to avoid all the ruckus."  
  
"Oh my god, no one's gonna believe this," Juan was practically jumping now.   
  
"How's Flash?" Peter asked, trying to redirect the conversation before it got too much.   
  
"Eugene Thompson's vitals are slightly concerning, Peter. No life threatening injuries detected, however I do recommend a visit in the Medical Bay," F.R.I.D.A.Y. piped up. "Boss has been notified of the incident and is on his way to Medical Bay, he wants to meet you there."  
  
"Great. Just great."  
  
Peter glanced at the lab that was currently being ventilated behind the glass and sighed. He knew the tour was going too well, he just felt it. He wasn't sure where he stood with the students now. They must've realized something weird was going on, with him screaming orders at F.R.I.D.A.Y. and Juan going crazy at finding out his company nickname. He left that thought for later, though, as he was attacked with a hug from both MJ and Ned.   
  
"Come on, let's go to the Med Bay together," Mr. Choi suggested, trying to calm everyone (and himself) down. "Can you walk, boy?"  
  
Flash nodded and stood up from where he was sitting on the ground, still coughing. Cindy and Abraham both took his arms and helped him walk to the elevator, Ned and MJ doing the same for Peter.   
  
When they reached the Med Bay, Tony Stark and medical staff were already waiting for them. Peter could've sworn he heard at least ten different people whisper it was "worth it to almost die to meet Mr. Stark!" Well, as long as no one got hurt, he could understand the sentiment.   
  
He blinked in surprise when Mr. Stark took a few long steps in their direction and engulfed him in a hug. It was over before he fully registered it, though, and now the engineer was holding him by his shoulders and looking him up and down. "Are you okay, Pete?"   
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He smiled shakily to reassure his mentor.   
  
Tony nodded, let go of him and turned to scan the rest of the class, that was currently gawping at the both of them.   
  
"Alright, kids. You're safe now and in good hands, so don't worry. Mr. Thompson, if you will? And you too, Pete, just in case."  
  
Flash was quite easy to distinguish in the crowd, still coughing. He took a shaky step forward as Cindy and Abraham let go of him, and followed Peter into the Bay, where they were immediately ushered onto cots and checked for any damage to their bodies with the help of more advanced equipment than Flash had ever seen and F.R.I.D.A.Y.   
  
Peter was all healed already, but politely accepted the oxygen mask infused with some soothing particles to help his lungs and throat. Next to him, Flash was eyeing him worriedly.   
  
"Anyone else in need of medical attention?" one of the nurses asked the group. "Any sedatives for your nerves? Anyone wants to see a psychologist?"  
  
"Feel free to take us up on that offer in the future, if you think this through," Tony added and Peter fought an urge to laugh. Mrs. Stark's training seemed to finally take some effect, perhaps no lawsuit would come out of this. No one really looked like they were in the mood for suing, though. The group already knew nothing was wrong with them and they relaxed, letting the excitement from meeting the Iron Man win. "And now, can anyone tell me why the hell a school tour is blowing up my building?"  
  
Mr. Choi laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, boss. That would be my fault." He sighed and turned to Flash and Peter, who were still sitting on the cots wearing masks. "We had clear rules for our little assignment, that included not touching the processor once it was activated. I just wasn't expecting- the, uh, creativity today's kids have, and I didn't react in time to stop one of them from adding temperature compromised oil into a heated mix."  
  
Tony blinked, then grimaced. "Okay. Okay." Peter could tell it was not okay, but at least they were all alive. "Right then. Mr. Harrington, please contact these kids' guardians," he nodded in Peter's and Flash's direction, "and ask to let them stay a bit longer. I will make sure to get them home as soon as our medical team is done with them."  
  
It was comical to see how surprised Mr. Harrington was to learn Tony Stark knew his name. It took him a long moment before he finally complied with the request, Juan escorting him back to the lobby so he could make a phone call after stepping over the scanner line on the floor. Choi and his team said their goodbyes and went to assess the damage done to their lab.   
  
"How was your tour, kiddos? Well apart from- that." Mr. Stark asked the group and promptly regretted it when everyone started talking all at once, Ned the loudest of them all.   
  
"Can you please sign my t-shirt?" someone asked.   
  
"Can you sign my face?" immediately asked someone else.   
  
"I loved the Iron Man exhibit in the museum!"  
  
"I wanna work for you after college!"  
  
"Okay. No. Stop." Tony raised his hands in mock surrender, shooting Peter a quick glare because of course he was snickering under that oxygen mask. "One question at a time, deal? And yeah I can sign your face, get me a marker."  
  
The first round of questions was all dedicated to both Tony's work, and Iron Man's. Then, as everyone's curiosity was slightly sated, the real troublemaker hit home.   
  
"So is Peter really an intern here?"  
  
Peter's eyes widened in alarm, because if Mr. Stark was angry with him over the lab incident, or indeed wanted to embarrass him and ruin his life, this would be the moment.   
  
"Of course he is an intern here," the man agreed easily, sneaking a reassuring smile at Peter and if there wasn't a whole group of students in the same room Peter would hug him again. Unfortunately his Parker Luck chose this instance to strike again. "Right, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?   
  
"There is no Stark Industries intern registered as Peter Parker, boss."  
  
Peter facepalmed so hard it was audible. Well, shit.   
  
To his credit, Tony seemed surprised as well.   
  
"You've just overridden my Stealthy Intern Protocol," Peter simply told him, lifting the oxygen mask for a second and making a face at him. "You'll always be her favourite."   
  
"Pedro, an intern? Oh this is gold," Juan laughed as he and Mr. Harrington approached them back from the elevator.   
Peter chanced a look at his friends and other students, and they were all so confused it wasn't even funny. Perhaps he could still somehow salvage this without looking like an idiot.   
  
"Well I used to be one, now I- I work here," he said and shrugged, and he seriously admired the students' capacity to be surprised. After being hit with a great deal of exciting news today, they still gaped at him like he grew another head. Flash choked on air beside him.   
  
"And he's one of the best," Mr. Stark added, and he looked like he wanted to say more but Peter's panicked look stopped him.   
  
"Okay, everyone," Mr. Harrington said, trying and failing to get their attention."Our time here is up."

After a while Tony took pity on him.  
  
"As nice as it was having you over today, I think your tour has come to an end. So, go away."  
  
Peter snorted, but the students didn't look offended. He muttered a few assurances to MJ and Ned, and then Mr. Harrington, and watched the group be led away by Juan, who kept looking over his shoulder at Peter and grinning excitedly.   
  
Peter flopped back with a dramatic sigh.   
  
"I was this close, _this close_ , to making this work," he groaned. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the tour, Mr. Stark. I just- I wanted to make it through without any drama."  
  
"Yeah, you did great, Pete," Mr. Stark laughed at him. "Besides, did you really think I hadn't known? F.R.I.D.A.Y. ran the background checks and you were flagged down immediately. Why do you think you were given a pass, kid?"  
  
Yeah, he should've guessed that.   
  
"I don't know, I thought that if you knew, you'd try to do something embarrassing." Peter shrugged awkwardly.  
  
"Turns out, you're perfectly capable of embarrassing yourself on your own," Mr. Stark ruffled his hair playfully, sitting on the edge of his cot. At Peter's indignant _hey!_ he chuckled, but didn't take his hand away. "I was actually trying to make this easier for you. I made sure your tour guide was someone who didn't know you, and that the interns you visited did. I wasn't expecting you to bribe them into denying that, though. I even told the A team we had a press day today at SI, so they would all stay away."   
  
Peter felt so stupid. This was Tony Stark, a genius, a superhero, he was well aware how much damage could come out of revealing too much information to a bunch of high schoolers. He should have known better, and he should have trusted him.   
  
"You're thinking too much, stop it." Mr. Stark patted him on his shoulder before standing up. "I'll always have your back, kid. Now get some rest, and I'll see you in a few. I need to take care of the PR nightmare this could turn into." Then he nodded at the second person in the Med Bay, that Peter managed to already forget about. "Mr. Thompson."   
  
And then he just walked out, leaving Peter alone with Flash. The medical personnel, having done all they could for now, was busying themselves with their usual routine and gave them space.   
  
How could this still feel like the worst part of the day was yet to come?   
  
The silence between them was deafening, and Peter wanted to break it, but he had no idea what to say. _Ha, I told you so? Who's the cool one now, huh?_ That didn't feel right and imagining it gave him exactly zero percent of the satisfaction he expected.  
  
Then his phone rang. He clumsily fished it out of his pocket and grimaced at the caller's ID. Pulling the oxygen mask to the side, he braced himself for what was coming.   
  
"May, don't freak out!" he pleaded as soon as he picked up. "It was nothing, I'm alright!" He should've expected that call. After all, Mr. Harrington did just inform her he would be staying in the Med Bay at SI due to some explosion, or something along these lines. "Yeah, no, no, it's fine. Yeah, the whole weekend. I'll see you Monday after school, then. Bye, love you too."  
  
And apparently this was the push needed to get them talking.   
  
"How can you answer your phone here?" Flash asked incredulously, and it was only then Peter noticed he was gaping at him. Possibly had been gaping at him for a long time. "All of our phones were deactivated! I couldn't even take a photo, not to mention a phone call."  
  
Peter smiled sheepishly.   
  
"Mine wasn't."  
  
"Why not?" The tone Flash used sounded way too similar to his taunts at school, and he must've realized that as well because something flickered behind his eyes. He frowned and looked down and somehow Peter was afraid to make any sound. The silence stretched between them until-  
  
"I'm sorry, Parker."  
  
"What?"  
  
Flash glared.  
  
"You almost got yourself killed because of me," he muttered so quietly that if it wasn't for the enhanced senses, Peter would probably never even hear him. "Because I wanted to show everyone I'm smart, too. I don't know what's so special about you, but something evidently is, so..." he trailed off, his voice getting softer by the end. He refused to make eye contact for the longest while, but when he finally did, Peter felt shivers running through him at the genuine hurt visible in Flash's eyes. "I'm sorry."  
  
And it was clear he didn't only mean his behaviour in the lab.   
  
Peter was taken aback, but he quickly snapped out of it when Flash started fidgeting awkwardly. "It's fine. We're good," he said, because what else could he say? He could recognize the same need for validation that caused Flash to blow up the lab today, has led to Peter getting his suit confiscated back when he was trying to track the Vulture. He knew the feeling. And it was awful. "People know you're smart, Flash."  
  
Peter smiled at the startled look on Flash's face.   
  
"Like, you managed to score high enough to come on this tour. Give yourself some more credit."  
  
Flash rolled his eyes. "Yeah, obviously I got to come, I'm part of the AcaDeca team."  
  
"Um, no," Peter shook his head slightly. "Even though I ditched it, I was still officially part of the team in D.C. You were an alternate, remember?" He sighed. "I know 'cause I tried to get out this tour. I didn't even take the test and yet, here I am."  
  
Flash frowned at him and Peter could almost hear the cogs turn inside his head.   
  
"So that means, I'm not here because I was on the team?"  
  
"You're here because you've earned it."  
  
Not too long ago Peter was sure his life couldn't get any weirder, what with him being Spider-Man, working with Tony Stark and casually texting the Avengers, but seeing Eugene Thompson emotional was probably the weirdest thing that has happened to him, ever. He was quiet for a long time, but his eyes were kind of glistening so Peter busied himself with his phone to give him a semblance of privacy. He had a ton of unanswered messages.   
  
"So you really do work here?" Flash asked eventually, still coughing every now and then. "What's the deal with Pedro? And how do you know Mr. Stark so well?"  
  
Peter giggled, a tiny bit hysterically, at having the very questions he was trying to avoid directed at him, and coming from Flash no less. There was only one way out of this.  
  
"I am Mr. Stark's right hand. I work either with him or in my lab, or I'm helping out in the lower labs. The Pedro thing started as a joke when someone messed up my name, but I decided to just go with it. That's how I'm known in the Tower, it actually helps to stay anonymous, mostly."  
  
"Lower labs? I thought the lower labs were for interns, and you apparently aren't one."  
  
"Lower, as in lower than mine."  
  
Flash looked at him for a long moment before bursting out laughing, and promptly regretting it when that started a coughing fit. A nurse came up to them and scolded them for taking of their oxygen masks.  
  
"Right," Flash snorted after she left. "Don't push it, Parker."  
  
Peter just shrugged, but his smile was secure in place. They talked a bit more, about their favourite projects they'd seen that day, the prototypes, and their favourite Avengers (which was a bit uncomfortable, since Flash's was Spider-Man). That was when Mr. Stark came back.  
  
"Alright, Mr. Thompson," he said, startling them both. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. says your vitals are back to normal, you should be alright now. I'll let Happy know to arrange a car for you. Will there be anyone waiting for you at home?"  
  
Flash nodded, all the enthusiasm leaving him in a second. He actually looked like someone getting ready to attend their own funeral.  
  
"Mr. Stark, I wanted to apologize for the damage in the lab," he said, his voice hitching and coming out shaky, as he wrung his hands into an almost impossible knot. "It wasn't that scientist's fault, it was mine. They did tell us the rules. I just- I panicked, I wanted it to go well. I wanted to prove myself, but it wasn't working and-"  
  
Flash was, after all, still a kid, so it wasn't surprising to see his emotions finally catch up to him and result in a few tears running down his face. As someone who's probably never apologized to anyone before this day, he was sure doing it a lot and what do you know, miracles do happen.  
  
"I'll pay for the damage- I mean, my parents will- I mean, maybe not all at once, we probably can't-" he sobbed, as he seemed to realize that his parents' fortune could possibly still not be enough to cover all the expenses of replacing the advanced technology he managed to blow to pieces today.   
  
Peter helpfully handed him a tissue.  
  
"How about you help rebuild it instead?"  
  
It was enough to shock him into attention, even though the effect was ruined by him blowing his nose loudly the next moment. Mr. Stark took a seat on Peter's cot again and eyed the young genius carefully. "Are you thinking of offering Eugene here the apprenticeship?"  
  
Peter shrugged. "His project was bad, I mean before it exploded, then it was a little-"  
  
Flash frowned at him. "Are you trying to help or-"  
  
"...but it was the least bad from all of them."  
  
"Right, okay." Mr. Stark adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Your call."  
  
"Wait, what-"  
  
"You won't regret this," Peter grinned at the man, getting a fond eye roll in return.  
  
"What is happen-"  
  
"F.R.I.D.A.Y., please ask the PR intern to come back here and show Mr. Thompson to the car. Happy arranged something, right?"  
  
"On it, Boss. The car for Mr. Thompson will be ready in five minutes."  
  
"Wait-"  
  
"Don't worry, we'll send you all the details on Monday." Peter took pity on him. "Unless you decline?"  
  
Flash stared at him, feeling completely out of his depth.   
  
"I accept your apology, kid" Mr. Stark suddenly said. "Just know this, it wasn't the first time someone blew something up in this building." To be honest, it happened quite often. "I can afford to lose the tech, but I cannot afford to lose people. Don't try to be a hero next time, there's quite enough of those around. If Peter says you deserve the apprenticeship, I'm down with that, but you ignore a procedure one more time in the future and you're out of here, for life. Got it? Yeah? Great."  
  
Then he turned to Peter.  
  
"And you, don't go running into exploding labs again," Mr. Stark raised a challenging eyebrow at him, but his eyes were serious before they softened. "And don't think you get to ditch work today because of this."  
  
"Are you ready to go?" They all turned to look at Juan who just arrived at the Med Bay to collect Flash. The kid nodded and stood up from the cot.   
  
"Um, thank you, Mr. Stark, sir," he said nervously. He glanced at Peter and smiled shyly, then visibly relaxed when Peter smiled back. He joined Juan and let himself be led to the elevator, hearing snippets of an easy conversation behind him, as the other two left the Med Bay in another direction.   
  
They arrived in the lobby and Juan escorted him in the direction of the exit. He was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when they crossed the silver line again, having already forgotten about the pass around his wrist.   
  
"Thank you for visiting Stark Industries, Mr. Thompson," F.R.I.D.A.Y. said and the bracelet snapped open. He handed it to Juan. "Congratulations on your apprenticeship."   
  
"Woah, really?" Juan patted him on the back as they made their way outside. "Congratulations!"  
  
"Um, I blew up a lab," Flash said lamely.   
  
"Yeah, I'm beginning to think this is some kind of requirement," Juan laughed. "Don't worry. Both Mr. Stark and Pedro know what they're doing. You'll fit right in."   
  
And even though this was kinda like a dream come true, he suddenly found himself full of doubts and regrets. He could've lost his life that day, and it would be his own fault. He could've killed Peter. He destroyed advanced tech and weeks or months or years of research. And neither Peter nor Mr. Stark were actually upset with him.   
  
Peter, whom he had been accusing of lying for the past few years, and who never fought back. It was unbelievable how easily he was forgiven for his behaviour.   
  
"I don't feel like I deserve it," he found the words leaving his mouth before he could think.   
  
"It's just a week of hard, complicated work, dude," Juan laughed freely at his face. "Don't overthink it, just enjoy it. Who knows, maybe you'll get to hang out with Pedro at the penthouse!"   
  
The sky was already beginning to darken when they finally stepped out of the Tower. There was a black car waiting at the curb.   
  
"Wait, this morning you said only three people have access to that place."  
  
"Um yeah, the owner of the company, the CEO of the company, and the heir to the company," Juan shrugged, and frowned at the completely incomprehensive look on Flash's face. "Obviously they can take visitors. Any pass can become temporarily attached to the higher access pass, like yours were to mine today. I've never been to the penthouse," he added as an afterthought.  
  
"Wha- What heir! Heir to the entire SI?" Flash gaped at him, finally snapping out of his shock. "You mean _Parker_?"  
  
Juan looked at him for a long, long moment.   
  
"Right. Okay. Let's agree I never said that. Now, get in, you should be on your way already. Bye bye!"   
  
Flash found himself being tucked inside the car. "Wait! But-?!"  
  
Juan slammed the door after him and waved cheerfully.  
 _  
What the fuck?_

**Author's Note:**

> I put in all of my favourite things for just the right amount of that satysfying cliche factor but tried to make it just a tiny bit more realistic than your usual field trip fic. Hope you enjoyed it! I definitely did, it was such a guilty pleasure to write this :D
> 
> Edit: wow, if I had known before how amazing it felt to receive comments for a work, I'd have been posting stuff left and right! Thank you :)


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